The Pakistan version of the English Magna Carta ? The other day , I wrote “ will the two long marches namely the one led by Imran Khan and another led by Taher ul Qadri be the Pakistan version of the English Magna Carte “? Dr. Ali Akhtar , a dear friend of forty years disagreed with me . He observed “I really do not understand the similarity between the two. Magna Carta was signed by the Feudal Barons against the King. Are these protestors also Feudal Barons? If so, then all the other Feudal Barons are already a part of the kleptocratic oligarchy and forces if status quo. How would that Magna Carta Pakistan come into being?” Magna Carta (Latin for Great Charter), also called Magna Carta Libertatum or The Great Charter of the Liberties of England, is an Angevin charter originally issued in Latin. It was sealed under oath by King John at Runnymede, on the bank of the River Thames near Windsor, England, on 15 June 1215. Magna Carta was the first document imposed upon a King of England by a group of his subjects, the feudal barons, in an attempt to limit his powers by law and protect their rights. The charter is widely known throughout the English speaking world as an important part of the protracted historical process that led to the rule of constitutional law in England and beyond. The 1215 charter required King John to proclaim certain liberties and accept that his will was not arbitrary—for example by explicitly accepting that no freeman (in the sense of non-serf) could be punished except through the law of the land, a right that still exists under English law today. (Source :- Wikipedia) It will be appreciated that the Magna Carta was a struggle by the nobles to snatch the powers of the king . These days a fierce drama for a similar purpose is being enacted in Islamabad through the two long marches thus rendering the entire government machinery dysfunctional . Imran Khan’s agenda is narrow to restructure the entire Election Commission to begin with while Taher ul Qadri programme is wider and comprehensive including more provinces . I am a firm advocate of converting the existing divisions into provinces because of the inability of the provincial governments to govern satisfactorily . However , the weak and incompetent Government in Islamabad , and in Lahore , squandered its chance to satisfy the demands of the two leaders of the long march through negotiations by its non serious attitude and mocking them . The other leaders in the dispute have their own axes to grind . Both the army and the Supreme Court are not anxious to get involved in it . The atmosphere is very tense . We are all waiting to see who blinks first .The loser will be banished . I like the comments made by an Englishman . He tweeted that the only difference between Imran Khan and PM Sharif is that Sharif thinks about the next elections while Imran thinks about the next generation . It will also be appreciated that democracy and the rule of law were evolved in the western world through a prolonged struggle of centuries against the established monarchies . The reign of the European monarchs eg. Henry VIII , James I , the two Charles viz. I and II , a series of French kings etc . was as oppressive as the conditions in Pakistan now in the 21st century particularly in the rural areas . ‘Serfdom’ is still being practiced there despite being very loathsome in Islam and despite the fact that many city dwellers live in the modern age . The lowly or the serfs cannot raise their gaze in the presence of their lords and masters although we claim that Pakistan was created in the blessed name of Islam . A reading about the conditions before the French Revolution would be enough to portray them . We believe in Allah and the Holy Prophet ( Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him ) . But we do not abide by Islam pristine teachings . From 1215 uptil the present day , the west has gone through various conditions wars , pestilence , illiteracy , poverty . There was a period when the Bible was in Latin , a language only the scholars and the church clergy could read . The institutions in the west are very strong unlike Pakistan . They promote governance . If one has a complaint , it is remedied through an in built mechanism . The politicians join it for public service and not as means of enriching themselves and their families .The elections are regularly held . Rigging is rare and remedial measures are promptly taken . If the government loses the trust of the people , the prime minister immediately resigns and holds fresh elections . Before the passing of the 18th Amendments to the Pakistan Constitution , there were several subjects with which the provincial government was better qualified to deal . Thus the programme of devolution of powers was a step in the right direction . However , the path to hell is paved with “good” intentions . The examples are the Charter of Democracy signed by the late Mrs. Benazir Bhutto and Mian Nawaz Sharif , a recipe for an ‘ elected monarchy ‘ and the choice of Nawaz Sharif to become for the third time over the wishes of the people of the area to have a Hazara Province . Hope in having an independent Pakistan has been replaced by disappointment and then by disillusioned . Talking about the masses , the people , the awam is pure hogwash and rubbish. Unlike the west , the civil governments are not inclined to hold local bodies whereas the military ‘dictators ‘ invariably hold them . Thus no attention is paid to the problems of the common people despite lofty claims . The people know the nature of the problems they face and their solution . However , those who have the means to redress them are either not caring or incompetent . And those who are willing to solve them do not have the means . Mahfooz ur Rahman Islamabad August 19, 2014
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 05:24:39 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015